The 1st New Hampshire Regiment was an infantry unit that came into existence on 22 May 1775 at the beginning of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

John Stark Major-General John Stark (August 28, 1728 – May 8, 1822) was an American military officer who served during the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. He became known as the "Hero of Bennington" for his exemplary service at the Ba ...

was the regiment's first commander. The unit fought at

Chelsea Creek Chelsea Creek, shown on federal maps as the Chelsea River, is a waterway that runs along the shore of Chelsea, Massachusetts, and separates that community from the cities of Boston and Revere, as well as feeding part of the current Belle Isl ...

and Bunker Hill in 1775. On 1 January 1776, while engaged in the

Siege of Boston The siege of Boston (April 19, 1775 – March 17, 1776) was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War. In the siege, Patriot (American Revolution), American patriot militia led by newly-installed Continental Army commander George Wash ...

, the unit was renamed the 5th Continental Regiment. In the spring it was sent to Canada where the New Hampshire soldiers fought at

Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières (, ; ) is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice River, Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence River, Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Sain ...

and later helped defend the area around

Lake Champlain Lake Champlain ( ; , ) is a natural freshwater lake in North America. It mostly lies between the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and Vermont, but also extends north into the Canadian province of Quebec. The cities of Burlington, Ve ...

. Late in the year, the 5th Continental Regiment was transferred south to

George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...

's main army where it fought at Trenton. On 1 January 1777 the unit was renamed the 1st New Hampshire Regiment and it saw action at

Princeton Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the Unit ...

before being sent back to the Northern Department. The regiment fought at Saratoga in the fall of 1777. That winter it was transferred to Washington's army and fought at

Monmouth Monmouth ( or ; ) is a market town and community (Wales), community in Monmouthshire, Wales, situated on where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. The population in the 2011 census was 10,508, rising from 8 ...

in the summer of 1778. The troops participated in

Sullivan's Expedition The 1779 Sullivan Expedition (also known as the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition, the Sullivan Campaign, and the Sullivan-Clinton Campaign) was a United States military campaign under the command of General John Sullivan during the American Revoluti ...

in the summer of 1779. The unit stayed with the main army until August 1781 when it was left to defend the

Hudson Highlands The Hudson Highlands are mountains on both sides of the Hudson River in New York (state), New York state lying primarily in Putnam County, New York, Putnam County on its east bank and Orange County, New York, Orange County on its west. They conti ...

. The regiment rejoined the main army in late 1782 and was renamed the New Hampshire Regiment in early 1783. After first being reduced to a battalion, the unit was disbanded on 1 January 1784.

History

The 1st New Hampshire Regiment was authorized as New Hampshire State Troops on 22 May 1775, and was organized as 10 companies of 800 volunteers from Hillsborough and Rockingham counties of the colony of

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

at Medford,

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, commanded by

. The regiment was adopted into the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

on 14 June 1775, and assigned to General John Sullivan's brigade on 22 July 1775. The regiment saw action at the

Battle of Bunker Hill The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in the first stage of the American Revolutionary War. The battle is named after Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Boston, Charlestown, Massachusetts, which was peri ...

. The regiment was redesignated the 5th Continental Regiment on 1 January 1776, as eight companies in Sullivan's Brigade in the main Continental Army. On 27 April 1776, the regiment was relieved from the brigade and assigned to the Canadian Department. On 2 July 1776, the regiment was reassigned to the Northern Department, and on 20 July 1776, it was assigned to General

's brigade. On 26 November 1776, the regiment was reassigned to the main Continental Army and later assigned to Sullivan's brigade. On 1 January 1777, the 5th Continental Regiment was re-organized to eight companies and redesignated as the 1st New Hampshire Regiment. The regiment was relieved from the brigade on 14 February 1777, and assigned to the Northern Department. On 28 April 1777, the regiment was assigned to the New Hampshire Brigade. On 20 October 1777, the brigade was reassigned to the main army and re-organized to nine companies on 23 December 1778. The brigade was reassigned to the Highlands Department on 19 August 1781. Between 10 and 14 October 1781, the brigade was reassigned to the Northern Department. On 12 November 1782, the brigade was reassigned to the main army. The regiment was redesignated as the New Hampshire Regiment and re-organized as nine companies on 1 March 1783.

Service record

Notable members

* Joseph Cilley *

Henry Dearborn Henry Dearborn (February 23, 1751 – June 6, 1829) was an American military officer and politician. In the Revolutionary War, he served under Benedict Arnold in his expedition to Quebec, of which his journal provides an important record ...

Caleb Stark Caleb Stark (December 3, 1759 – August 28, 1838) was an American state senator. He was the eldest son of General John Stark and his wife Molly Stark. Biography He was born December 3, 1759, at Dunbarton, New Hampshire. During the American Revol ...

* John Simpson * Captain Samuel Richards * Isaac Wyman * Captain Nathaniel Hutchins *Primus Lane

Notes

References

* * ''"Death Seem'd to Stare": The New Hampshire And Rhode Island Regiments at Valley Forge'' by Joseph Lee Boyle, Clearfield Co, 1995
Officer and staff of 1st NH Regt.State Builders: An Illustrated Historical and Biographical Record of the State of New Hampshire. State Builers Publishing Manchester, NH 1903

External links

History of the 1st New Hampshire RegimentFirst New Hampshire Regiment
reenactment group

compiled by the

United States Army Center of Military History The United States Army Center of Military History (CMH) is a directorate within the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command. The Institute of Heraldry remains within the Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Arm ...